Workforce Management of Singapore Airlines - Essay Example

Workforce Management of Singapore Airlines       The history of Singapore Airlines dates back to October 1972 when Malaysian-Singapore Airlines Ltd. was broken down to form Singapore Airlines and Malaysian Airline Systems. The growth of the Airlines Company can be traced from the fact that it grew from being the fifty-seventh largest airlines in 1969 to the ninth largest airlines in 1979. Singapore Airlines – Workforce Management       The Cabin Crews in Singapore Airlines are given a strategic importance by regarding them to be an integral part of their service offerings. In the light of the above statement the paper analyzes some of the crucial parameters of Human Resource Management in the Airlines Company. Recruitment       The cabin crews in Singapore Airlines are recruited keeping in mind some basic objectives like not only being graciously presentable but also to reflect the feelings of warmth and friendliness. On the other hand it also wanted to radiate a sense of authority and confidence in the pattern of their in-flight service. The recruitment function was carried along different ethnic groups from China, Malaysia, India and Eurasian communities. Cabin crews were recruited for both male and female within an age group of 20 to 25 years. The recruitment function contained of stress and emotional interview rounds to judge the applicant’s ability to face such. Other parameters considered were communication, grace and posture and work experience. The need for a younger creed of cabin crew dismissed the recruitment of older people. This need to undergo a change for older crewmembers would mean less hassle in the functions of recruitment, selection and training. Further, the taking of skilled and experienced new crewmembers also increased the chances of job-hopping by them. An interview conducted revealed that the crewmembers were not interested to suggest their brothers and sisters to join Singapore Airlines for it did not provide a secured career. Training       The training program for the young recruits was an extensive one. It covered not only the theoretical base in providing guidelines on professional and personal etiquettes but also had a practical part. The practical training was imparted to make the recruits familiar with handling several amenities but also in the preparation and serving of beverages and dishes on board. Punctuality was taken as an integral factor in the program where a person thrice late was debarred from attending. The final examination was conducted depending on the practical module. However, the training program consisted of mock drills like one where the young recruit had to jump from mock aircrafts to pools for providing lifeboats to sinking passengers. They not being used to heights panicked at the very call. Care must be taken in this regard to let them first adjust to long heights by providing effective trainings rather than injuring them. Performance Measurement and Feedback       The measurement of a cabin crew’s performance was done in three ways in Singapore Airlines. It was conducted on the combined basis of staff and trainer evaluation and comments made by the passengers on the crew members. In the first case senior staff members through a series of questions evaluated the crewmembers. In this case the person so reviewed was called for commenting on the same. The second case invited the trainer to evaluate the crewmembers; results of such were kept undisclosed. The third way demanded comments from the passengers, which were either complaints or compliments to the crewmembers. The director of cabin-crew to identify the nature of such read the comments. In case of compliments the crewmember was appreciated and the comment was filed. For complaints the crewmember was called for to state facts. Discipline and training was aptly prescribed for them. The passengers were also informed in both the cases. Communication        The communication was indeed a great problem in Singapore Airlines. The cabin crewmembers being away from Singapore most of the time were not available for any type of communication. However, the airlines has been able to restore communications with its cabin staff by means such as preflight briefings, wars meetings, training check meetings, administrative staff committee meetings and through newsletters. All these efforts are made to address the concerns of the cabin crews. But there are still some issues that need to be addressed. The recreational facilities are greatly missing in this context. The allowances given to them are not sufficient to stay in places like Europe. The crewmembers being altered in each trip lends a small part in interaction among themselves. This reduces the efficiency of the members to perform as a team. The salary not being sufficient, the management should consider providing perks along to motivate them. Post recession the company is initiating policies like wage cut and lay off. The board should form a compensation committee consisting of all the stakeholders to look into the matter. (Wyckoff, Singapore Airlines (A), 6-12) Advertising Campaign       The advertising campaign used by Singapore Airlines invited mixed feedbacks. It used an image of a Singapore girl as a ‘mysterious world traveler.’  The feminists created uproar about against the image on the ground that it portrayed the idea of sex. However, many as 7000 young women were attracted to only 347 vacancies in Singapore Airlines by the dearth of the Advertisement. Still the campaign needs to be revised to be more utility centric in approaching new passenger groups. The service provided by the Airlines should be focused upon through the ad theme. (Wyckoff, Singapore Airlines(A), 4) Service Quality        The management of the company continuously monitors the service quality.  The ratio of complaints and compliments received to the number of passengers handled are regularly tracked to analyze passenger satisfaction. Doubt lies in the measurement technique for passengers who complain may not represent the mass opinion. The company should request the passengers in mentioning the reason of their grievances while lodging complaints. In this way the complaints related to cabin crews can be identified and solved. It is seen that bulk of the complaints registered against the ground services are check inn, baggage clearance or seat assignments and so on. There is also a language problem among cabin crews not good in English and it results in miscommunication. So the management should solve this issue by providing appropriate training. (Wyckoff, Singapore Airlines(A), 10) Delivering Quality       In terms of delivering the right quality the organization needs to revise its work atmosphere in granting equal work opportunity to both the sexes. This is against the concept of democratic organization. The female force even had to leave the work on having children. A woman promoted to senior post could continue only till 35 years of age unless men who could work longer (till 55 years). The women work on a contract of five years, which is renewed only after a mutual agreement between them and the managements. The male workers also get disappointed on asked to retire at forty. Training needs to be properly given and not curtailed from eight to six weeks for service efficiency. (Wyckoff, Singapore Airlines (A), 6) Introduction of Slot Machines       The introduction of jackpot or slot machines in Singapore Airlines helped in the reduction of noise and also led to reduction in interference with communication and navigation gadgets. It drew attention of the media especially in United States and Far East, which are very important from the operational point of view of the company. It became very popular and also yielded profit (the payoff was estimated to be 90 percent compared to 60-65 percent as from other machines) (Wyckoff, Singapore Airlines (B), 2). Passengers also appreciated the move.  Reference Wyckoff, Daryl, Singapore Airlines (A&B), Harvard Business School, March 1989 Read More